Donna Jean Godchaux, a beloved singer who graced the stage with the legendary Grateful Dead, has passed away at the age of 78. Her death on Sunday came after a prolonged battle with cancer, and she was under the compassionate care of Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by Rolling Stone.

Godchaux’s contribution to the Grateful Dead, a band famously led by the late Jerry Garcia, was instrumental during the 1970s. Her vocals added a unique layer to the band’s eclectic sound, which captivated audiences during the era marked by the rise of counterculture.

The Grateful Dead, originating in Palo Alto, California, in 1965, became renowned for their innovative fusion of genres. They seamlessly wove together rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, and world music, all tinged with a psychedelic flair. This distinctive blend set them apart in the music world.

Among their many hits, songs like “Touch of Grey” and “Truckin’” resonated deeply with fans, contributing to their lasting legacy. Godchaux’s tenure with the band remains a cherished part of their storied history.

Their hit songs were Touch Of Grey and Truckin’, among dozens others.

Alabama native Godchaux also lent her vocals to several chart-topping hit songs such as Elvis Presley’s Suspicious Minds and Percy Sledge’s When A Man Loves a Woman.

Her vocals were featured on other recordings by Boz Scaggs and Duane Allman, Cher and Neil Diamond.

A Grateful Dead singer has passed away from a long illness at the age of 78. Donna Jean Godchaux was in hospice in Nashville, Tennessee at the time of her death after battling cancer for many years, Rolling Stone reported on Monday

She was with the Grateful Dead during some of their most prolific years, which was from 1972 until 1979

‘She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss,’ a statement about her death read.

‘The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, “May the four winds blow her safely home.”‘

She was with the Grateful Dead during some of their most prolific years, which was from 1972 until 1979.

The star worked on the albums Wake From The Flood and What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been.

The honey-voiced crooner also performed with the Jerry Garcia Band and the short-lived Heart of Gold Band, all alongside her first husband, Keith Godchaux. 

And blues singer also formed the Donna Jean Godchaux Band in 2006.

After Garcia died, she worked with the band again. 

The star – born Donna Jean Thatcher – grew up in Alabama but moved to California for her career.

She met future fellow Grateful Dead member Keith Godchaux while in the Golden State. They wed in 1970. Keith and Donna’s son, Zion ‘Rock’ Godchaux of BoomBox, was born in 1974.

Shortly after her husband’s death in 1980, she married bassist David MacKay (former Fiddleworms member and bassist for the Donna Jean Godchaux Band).

They moved to town she was born in – Florence, Alabama – to record at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

Godchaux seen at the Palais des Sports in Paris in September 1974

The star is seen on stage with The Grateful Dead during the Move Me Brightly 70th Birthday Tribute for Jerry Garcia at TRI Studios in San Rafael, California in 2012

From left, Godchaux and Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead perform with Mike Gordon of Phish

In 2006, Donna formed Kettle Joe’s Psychedelic Swamp Revue with Jeff Mattson (of Phil Lesh and Friends, Zen Tricksters, and Dark Star Orchestra) and Mookie Siegel (of David Nelson Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, and Ratdog). 

They were later known as Donna Jean & the Tricksters. And then they changed their name to the Donna Jean Godchaux Band in 2009.

She has also worked with Bob Weir & RatDog, Zero & Steve Kimock, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dark Star Orchestra and Dead & Company.

In 2012, she sang with Weir and Mike Gordon of Phish for the Move Me Brightly 70th Birthday Tribute for Jerry Garcia at TRI Studios in San Rafael, California.

Donna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994.

She was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

Godchaux-MacKay is survived by her husband David, her son Kinsman MacKay and his wife Molly, her son Zion Godchaux and his son Delta, her sister Gogi Clark, and her brother Ivan Thatcher.